Keeping pets at home is a relatively new phenomenon in Saudi society, with the number of families - Saudi and expatriate alike - keeping pets at home on the rise. There are several reasons for this, including social and psychological ones, but the main reason is the need for a new lifestyle. In the rest of the world, young couples without children or the elderly whose children do not live with them, keep pets as a kind of substitute. Others who have stressful jobs keep pets for entertainment purposes. However, the rationale behind keeping pets is totally different in the Kingdom. Saudi Gazette met with a number of - mostly young - pet keepers and asked them why they have kept a pet. The reasons ranged from loneliness and love for animals to a desire to emulate a Western lifestyle. “I have kept a cat for many years since I love cats and feel that it is the only one I can care about, without being cheated,” remarked Rawan Shaher, a 19-year-old Jordanian expatriate living in the Kingdom. She added that when she realized that her cat was suffering from loneliness, she decided to ‘marry' him to another cat she received as a present from a friend. For many Muslims, particularly in Saudi society, there is a perception that keeping pets is either not permissible or disliked in Islam. Sheikh Asem Al-Hakim from the Imam Jafer Al-Taiyar mosque in Jeddah rebutted this perception and claimed that it is allowed to keep all kinds of pets, barring dogs. He added that it is permissible to keep dogs as pets only if they are taken for the purpose of security, and even then, the dog should not be kept in the house but rather, kept in a separate habitat. In fact, according to Al-Hakim, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to treat animals very well, and keeping pets can be seen as an extension of such good behavior. Al-Hakim also spoke of the rather recent phenomenon of keeping a variety of unusual pets such as snakes and insects. In particular, he referred to a growing interest in keeping scorpions as pets, especially since a Saudi man recently made the record in the Guinness Book of World Records early this year for eating the most number of live scorpions (22 in total). “Keeping all types of insects and snakes as pets is not permissible in Islam,” he explained, adding that a number of rodents like mice, rats, chipmunks, gophers, porcupines, gerbils, chinchillas, prairie dogs, and groundhogs are also not allowed as pets in Islam. However, some of these rodents such as rabbits, squirrels, beavers and hamsters can be kept as pets. Another sensitive issue is the purchase and sale of pets and Al-Hakim explains that buying and selling cats and dogs is not allowed in Islam, though other types of pets like fish and birds may be both bought and sold. “Many people are giving animals as gifts to their loved ones, which is not banned in Islam,” stated Al-Hakim. “Giving a cat as a gift, for instance, is allowed, but only if the gift-giver has not gone and bought the cat.” Accompanying this latest trend are problems as well. Due to the lack of awareness and correct guidelines, many people are not being able to provide the necessary care for their pets. “I have kept a cat for many years and have been seeking better care for my cat, but that is not available in the Kingdom,” remarked Roya Al-Qurashi, a 23-year-old Saudi pharmacist. “We need specialist veterinarian clinics in the field of animal healthcare, in addition to emergency departments. Other Arab cities are providing perfect care facilities with proper medication, food and even a clinic in each district.” She indicated that she is spending close to 200 riyals every month on her cat's needs. However, from an Islamic perspective Al-Hakim remarks that splurging on pets is extravagant considering the number of poor and needy families both in the Kingdom, and the world. Saudi Gazette visited one of the largest pet shops in Jeddah to ask about the most popular types of pets. According to Ahmed Rabi, the shopkeeper, different age groups of people desire different kinds of pets. “Children and young teenagers look to buy small birds, which they find sweet and easy to take care of at home, while young adults prefer cats or parrots,” he explained. The prices also vary according to the type of pet and its history but generally ranges between 500 to 10,000 riyals according to Rabi. This excludes the extra money spent on buying accessories and necessary equipment. To many psychologists however, keeping pets constitutes of more than just a hobby. “Most of those who are keeping pets are suffering from a personality disorder, as it is not a common phenomenon in the Kingdom,” remarked Dr. Mohammed Al-Hamed, head of the Psychology Department at Baksh Hospital. According to him therefore, keeping pets can be considered odd. “A person who keeps pets usually suffers from social exclusion,” he added. “The most common reason for keeping pets is the need to develop the ability and confidence to have relations with other people.” Dr. Al-Hamed's rationale is that such introvert people will keep pets as a way to have someone in their life that they can be sure of receiving trust and love from. A widespread perception is that people keep pets to emulate a Western lifestyle, and Dr. Al-Hamed also believes that this is a root cause for keeping pets. He remarks, however, that the social dynamics of Western society allow for the keeping of pets, but that the Kingdom has a totally different social make-up. Since families traditionally lived together and there was almost always a network of close relatives and friends around a certain person, there was hardly a need to keep pets. However, he adds that society has slowly changed over the years, and with families living separately and even members of the same family living apart, the need to keep a pet as a substitute for a loved one has also arisen.
